Canadian Jewish Groups Seek Terrorist Designation for Palestine Action

Jewish advocacy groups in Canada have asked the federal government to list Palestine Action and its Canadian chapter as a terrorist entity. The appeal follows the group’s publicly available “target map,” which lists hundreds of addresses linked to Israeli defence contractor Elbit Systems and a manual urging “cells” to sabotage, vandalise or damage property.

Canadian Jewish groups call on government to designate Palestine Action as ‘terrorist entity’

Founded in the United Kingdom in 2020, Palestine Action targets firms it says support Israel’s military. After activists broke into RAF Brize Norton and spray-painted aircraft in June 2025, the UK proscribed the group under its Terrorism Act. In Canada, the map lists dozens of domestic sites and links to an “underground manual”.

Canadian Jewish groups call on government to designate Palestine Action as ‘terrorist entity’

The request is led by Richard Robertson, director of research and advocacy at B’nai Brith Canada, and supported by the Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA). Security analysts Matías Rott and Lt. Col. Dr. Uri Ben Yaakov warn that the group’s digital material lowers the barrier between protest and sabotage.

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B’nai Brith Canada’s 2024 audit recorded 6,800 antisemitic incidents in Canada, the highest total since the organization began tracking incidents in 1982. The target map focuses on entities tied to Elbit Systems and includes addresses across Canada, Europe and the United States.

Canadian Jewish groups call on government to designate Palestine Action as ‘terrorist entity’

B’nai Brith Canada has urged Ottawa to treat the group’s activities as a national-security threat, noting that the manual “incites criminal acts in furtherance of a radical ideology.” CIJA warned that permitting the group to operate could jeopardise Canadian jobs and security. The federal government has not yet responded.

Canadian Jewish groups call on government to designate Palestine Action as ‘terrorist entity’

Analysts argue that open-source intelligence from the target map can facilitate lone-wolf attacks, a concern echoed by Dr. Ben Yaakov, who likened the group’s decentralized model to tactics used by al-Qaida and the Islamic State.

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• “The manual offers operational guidance for terroristic anarchy,” — Richard Robertson, B’nai Brith Canada

Canadian Jewish groups call on government to designate Palestine Action as ‘terrorist entity’

• “By promoting this manual and identifying specific targets, Palestine Action is inciting its followers to commit criminal acts in furtherance of its radical ideology.” — Richard Robertson, B’nai Brith Canada

Canadian Jewish groups call on government to designate Palestine Action as ‘terrorist entity’

• “Publishing target maps, circulating manuals for unlawful activity, and encouraging people to organise in secret cells is akin to the tactics of terrorist entities.” — Richard Robertson, B’nai Brith Canada

Canadian Jewish groups call on government to designate Palestine Action as ‘terrorist entity’

• “We urge the government of Canada to act proactively and add this group to the list of banned terrorist entities.” — B’nai Brith Canada statement

Canadian Jewish groups call on government to designate Palestine Action as ‘terrorist entity’

The government is expected to review the designation request amid debates on free speech, digital radicalisation and national-security policy. Expert testimony and possible parliamentary hearings could decide whether Palestine Action will be added to Canada’s list of proscribed terrorist entities.

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